The Norfolk Retriever. 167 



nose, lOfin. ; girth of muzzle midway between between eyes and tip 

 of nose, 9|in. 



Mr. J. H. Salter's champion King Koffee : Age, about 5 years ; weight, 

 751b. ; height at shoulder, 27in. ; length from nose to set on of tail, 39 Jin. ; 

 length of tail, 18in. ; girth of chest, 33fin. ; girth of loin, 26in. ; girth 

 of head, ISfin. ; girth of forearm, 7|in. ; length of head from occiput 

 to tip of nose, lOin. ; girth of muzzle midway between eyes and tip 

 of nose, 10|in. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. THE NORFOLK RETRIEVER. 

 BY SAXON. 



To the preceding varieties we now add another, which "Saxon," a Nor- 

 folk sportsman, claims as peculiar to his county. Of the correctness of so 

 doing, however, we have some doubt, for although retrievers answering 

 his description may be more plentiful in Norfolk than elsewhere, they 

 are met with often enough in all parts of the country. He says : 



" There is no doubt that dog-shows have done much towards improving 

 the various breeds of dogs ; but there are still some counties which are, 

 so to speak, outside the magic circle of shows, and in these counties the 

 improvement is not so manifest. Norfolk is one of them, and though it 

 is a first-rate county for shooting of all kinds, yet at the same time, from 

 a show point of view, its dogs are not up to the mark. 



"It is well known that the retriever is not a distinct breed, and purity 

 of blood, therefore, can only exist so far as the strain is concerned. In 

 spite of this there is a strong family likeness visible in most good speci- 

 mens of the so-called Norfolk retriever. 



" For many a long year Norfolk has been celebrated for its wildfowl 

 shooting. On broad, river, sea-coast, and estuary, wildfowl abound during 

 the winter months, and unassisted by boat or dog the gunner would lose 

 by far the greater part of the fowl he shot. In rough weather, when the 

 fowl are most easy of access, the use of a boat in many instances becomes 

 difficult, not to say dangerous and impossible, and some kind of dog, 



